In the oil and gas industry, Pressure-Volume-Temperature (“PVT”) experimentation is utilized to determine the phase behavior of reservoir fluids under various pressures, volumes, and temperatures. Such information is useful in deriving the economic value of a play, designing production strategies and managing production over the lifetime of an asset. PVT properties must be discovered to effectively manage an asset or collection of assets, including pipeline shipping.
Conventional PVT analysis, however, suffers from at least two drawbacks. First, the size of conventional PVT devices is too large for space-sensitive applications, such as downhole environments. Second, the time required to conduct conventional PVT experiments is too lengthy. A full PVT analysis usually takes days for a basic test to weeks for full testing. Particularly, it has taken months for some specialized PVT testing. Therefore, conventional PVT analysis has been limited downhole to a few simple rapid PVT-determined properties at single or limited pressure-temperature combinations close to wellbore conditions (which may not exactly match reservoir conditions).
Accordingly, in view of these drawbacks, there is a need in the art for a compact and versatile PVT analysis device which provides accurate data in a rapid fashion. This same device would also be useful in any other application necessitating the use of a compact fluid analysis device.